The people of model hamlet Shahgund in the Sonawari sub-division of Bandipora district in north Kashmir are furious with the Roads and Buildings (R&B) department for not finishing the macadamization of the road.
The locals said that when the R&B department started work on the Sopore-Hajin road’s macadamization some time ago, they were relieved.
Local resident Abdul Rashid Dar claimed, “They macadamized the road from Hajin to Gundjahangir and on the other end, they macadamized it up to Baghat.”
However, he went on to say, “The main stretch, leading to Shahgund village and market, was deliberately ignored for reasons known only to the concerned authorities.”
The people said that the roads in Panchayats A and B of the hamlet were likewise in poor shape.
They said, “There is no indication that any work is being done to fix the roads here.
The people said that the state of the roads was “immensely” causing them pain. “Dust from the road chokes us, so we can’t open our stores. Another villager said that those who live on and near the road end suffer from suffocation due to dust.
They said the road, which was covered in gravel and stones, was a health risk and a danger to the people’ safety.
“Pedestrians and commuters alike run the danger of being hurt by stones caught beneath the wheels of moving automobiles. A toddler who was struck in the chest by a stone a few days ago needed to be rushed to the hospital, according to Abdul Majeed, a local. Another villager stated that when crossing the road, he too had been struck by a stone.
They said that those with disabilities and young children also had trouble navigating the roads.
“Though the roads have been being repaired for three years, this community has not grown. Whatever work is being done, it is moving painfully slowly, the people said.
The residents made an appeal to the Bandipora Deputy Commissioner and the R&B department Executive Engineer to address their complaint and restart construction on the road to macadamise the stretch heading to the village as well.
